Status Update For My 2nd Amendment

I apologize for my blog inactivity, but I'll have to trot out my work excuse. I'm now the Assistant Swim coach and the Swim coach at my school, so I've been pretty busy. What that entails is to leave for practice at 4:45 each morning and come home about 7:30 each evening, ..... plus, into the second grading period of the school year!

On the other hand, my plan to create a small arsenal is going quite well. OK, not the stockpile that this guy has amassed, but I've done pretty well..... being up to 7 guns in a bit under a year since I first got started in just short of a year. I'm especially proud that they all fit into a plan and not just random pieces and that I've been able to do it without debt.

So, what exactly is this plan? In a word; it's purpose, in that every gun I own has a purpose and not just a random piece. ??? It starts with my belief that because we've been given the right, then it's our responsibility to defend ourselves. You know: the 2nd Amendment and stuff.....

It all starts here; with the handgun. I chose this as my first purchase because, the pistol is the most flexible. It doesn't do one thing all that well, but it can do virtually any thing. Home protection, personal concealed carry, you name it. I actually started out with an HK VP9, but after some trading around which included a Walther P99, I ended up with the PPQ that I wanted all along. It's a fantastic weapon that fits my hand well and shoots great. It also gets the majority of my handloads which to date have been exclusively 9mm. The other handgun that I own is my latest acquisition which is the Walther PPS, and it is in fact an "M1" version as well so that both have the European style "paddle" mag release. I bought this not too long after taking the Texas LTC (Licence to Carry) class. And as soon as the bureaucratic wheels of government slowly get turning, I'll start to conceal this firearm.

 

A major part of my system is this. It came to live with us this summer. In my system, each gun has a job to do and this one holds down the job of "intruder stopper". Is it sexy? ..... no Is it cool? .....a little bit with the Magpul SGA furniture and yes, mine wears the heat shield too (not because I need it, but because it was cheap and kinda cool in a WWI, trench gun way). But it has an essential job. If something goes "bump in the night", I'm reaching beside my nightstand for this Mossberg 500 "Persuader" and jacking a round of #4 Buckshot into the chamber..... the 3rd shell in we move on to "00"... It doesn't get taken out for random range days, and nobody is going to oooh and ahhhh over it when they come over, but it has a very important job. Equipped with an 18" barrel, and a white-beamed weapon light, it'll be just fine. 

And while we're on the subject of shotguns, there's this that fulfills the role of "survival" all-in-one gun "just in case". It was cheap ($65 shipped). It folds up, as you can see, and with adapters (of which I own a 9mm one), can handle darned near any cartridge. There are supposed to be other barrels coming for it as well, so that should be cool in case it ever comes to fruition, but $65!!!

Then, last month, the big one happened; the "battle rifle" got finished!  It's basically like the one in the image above, built on an Aero Precision upper, lower, M-Lok free-floating handguard/rail, with a 16" stainless barrel chambered in .223 Wylde. I'm not going to get into a ton of detail here, but this essentially gives me a do everything long-gun. It's not legal to hunt deer with here in Texas, but if push came to shove, it could do that. People can and do hunt hog with them and the .223/5.56 is an outstanding varmint cartridge. However, at the end of the day, it's a battle rifle and all that that implies! One of the strengths of the AR "platform" is the flexibility. Eventually, I'll most likely build an actual hunting "upper" based on the 6.5 Creedmoore chambering as well as a .300 AAC (Blackout) on a shorter barrel as well. Both could be done on the same "lower" that I already own, and the 300BLK wouldn't even need a new bolt or magazine! The gun was pretty much all finished down to offset iron sights about a 2 months ago.....

..... then this happened! I had picked up a cheap 1-4x optic and was going to go with that until some time in the future when I came across a local ad for a Primary Arms 1-6x with the aclamed ACSS reticle. It's used of course, be in good shape for $180 complete with a quick-detach mount DONE!!!

NOT SO FAST! Yes, it was done in so much as it was ready to shoot regular .223/5.56 ammo, but you can't shoot that at a lot of indoor ranges, plus it's expensive. On top of all that, it's been the wettest fall in decades here in North Texas. But, I found this conversion for 22 long rifle. Yes; yet another reason to get an AR. I know that the 22lr is actually .223 vs. .224, but it's close enough to work just fine on most guns. I was able to try it out on mine last week and it shoots just fine. Now I have an option for when it won't stop raining and I can't go to the outdoor range. And at close to 5 cents per, I'll happily shoot 22lr for training purposes all day. Oh yeah, I picked it up used from the same firearms classified for $125. And I'm not done yet!

This weekend, I've arranged to pick up a Walther PPQ/22LR from a guy locally. Again, it's purpose is to allow me to practice inexpensively while maintaining the feel of the full-sized weapon in my hands. I really excited to find it. I also have some other projects going as well, so stay tuned. 

License To Carry

I almost feel like this when I say "License To Carry", but that's not really it. It feels funny saying it, and it's not because, this was my least favorite Bond of them all! Last weekend, I took the Texas "License to carry a handgun proficiency course" and now I have a "certificate of training". This is what's necessary in Texas to be licensed by the state to carry a handgun, either "open carry" or "conceal carry". Of course, there's still come paperwork to be done, but I've done it and soon, I'll be fully legal to carry a handgun around (unless, it's an illegal location such as a school etc.). Why would I do that.

It's mostly because of this. Well actually, let me start from the beginning. I'm not afraid of bad neighborhoods and bad people. I've lived in New Orleans and Chicago. Been to Cabrini Green and regularly went to the St. Louis No. 1 Cemetary in New Orleans which is literally right up against the projects. But the stuff represented by the imagery above scares the "Dickens" out of me (aren't you glad I didn't use another Bond title Living Daylights as a pun here). There are more and more groups (of both side) which are advocating violence and concepts of anti-authoritarianism. I just don't want to turn the corner in the wrong place at the wrong time and be in the wrong situation with no recourse. 

So now, this will be me. Which gets me to the gun itself. Although, I'll start by packing my Walther PPQ which is what I have. However, I don't see it as being the optimal solution. It's just too big for the summer months here in Texas where shorts and T-Shirts are the norm. Eventually, I'll get around to picking up something that's smaller, lighter and more conducive to every day carry. 

Right now, the front-runner is this: the Walther PPS, M1 (or "old") version with the paddle mag release. It's a single stack (read thin) with a much shorter grip making it way easier to conceal, which is after all, the name of the game!  I will have to get over the awkward proportions and general ugliness, but I don't want to have to develop a different muscle memory for a magazine change. I'm a paddle-release guy and will probably continue to be that unless I switch primary handguns. 

Whichever way I go, I know I'll feel a lot better out and about with my family in today's increasing unstable society.

"The Rifleman" Remake

Appropriately, the early 60's was a time for TV Westerns featuring a rifle toting lawman or bounty hunter. 1963 gave us "The Rifleman" starring Chuck Connors.....

And earlier, 1961 had given us "Wanted: Dead or Alive" with a young Steve McQueen. Of course, in reality, those shows didn't feature "rifles" per se, "The Rifleman" probably should have been called "The Carbine-man", but I'll have to say that it does lack the ring of the official title. And in the case of the McQueen show, that heavily modified Winchester can barely even be called a carbine. 

The "Mare's Legs" as guns of that type has come to be called have more in common with today's AR "pistols".  I was born in 1960 (and in Hong Kong), and not having moved to the United States until I was 7, in 1968. Never-the-less, like most boys of the era, loved Westerns and all things associated there-of. 

So, appropriately, and probably to no one's surprise, I've fallen hard for the Kel-Tec Sub 2000! Previously, I talked about how it was the missing "pistol-caliber carbine" that I'd been searching for, but that was on a conceptual basis.... Now that I've shot it, well.... I'd have to say that I'm completely smitten! Let me go through the reasons:

• ITts small, light, AND it even folds up to be even smaller. Really, 16" is ridiculous!
• It shoots like a dream! I put about 200 rounds through it without a hiccup. This included 4 different types of ammo, 2 of which were my own hand-loads.
• It was dead accurate out to 25 yards (the max  at the indoor range), and that was with the hard-on-old-eyes peep sights which I'm going to replace with a notch sight. When a red dot was mounted on it....., it was "too easy". 
• The previous owner had already upgraded the charge handle, trigger and trigger guard among other things and it felt awesome. 
• It was dead reliable while using 4 different types of magazines, including Beretta OEM, Mec-Gar (pretty much OEM), Beretta 35 round extended, and USGI M9 mags.

 

 

The previous owner had also put on the very common upgrade of the Magpul AFG on the lower rail. I ended up removing it because it felt awkward and I felt like it made the gun feel bulky which was contrary to the spirit of the design. 

In it's place, I put on the Magpul XTM hand-stop, which I love! It does the same thing, but is much smaller and lighter! 

And on the inch and a half of rail left, I mounted a Truglo MicroTac laser. It's the perfect size and weight for this carbine's intended purpose of a ready for anything carry-carbine.

Defending The Castle

Although I recently replaced my Walther P99 Gen 1 with the new PPQ, it really isn't that change which has led to this post. Yes, I was in fact, using the P99 as my primary home defense weapon, it certainly wasn't an ideal choice...... it was what I had. But now, my end goal for the "home defense" weapon of choice is coming in. It's the Mossberg 500 "Persuader" shotgun in 12 gauge!

Basically like the one pictured here except that mine has the "ghost-ring" sights. Why? If you've ever looked at the business end of a 12 gauge shotgun, you know why. It doesn't matter whether you have it loaded with a 300+ grain slug, 9-pellet "buckshot" or the #4 Shot that the FBI says is the most effective; this gun will deal with most any home defense situation that doesn't require an AR. I wanted the 18.5" version because it's short and easier to maneuver in a house, and in that use, the 2 more (7 vs 5) cartridge full load isn't going to make a difference whereas, not knocking it into stuff will! 

In all probability, I'm going to keep mine loaded with #1, 2, or 4 shot as the first two in the tube, with "buckshot" after that, just in case. This is to give the gun a heavy hitting first 2 shots, while limiting the chance of jumpy discharges from going through walls with unintended consequences to a minimum. I figure, by the time I get to the 3rd round, I'll be more specifically trying to get something serious dealt with! Do I intend on doing anything to upgrade the gun?

Not too much, but a few things such as the all-important weapon-light. For a defensive firearm intended for "clearing" a house, I'd say, it's a "must have". 

Another will happen item is the Magpul SGA stock and fore end. This stock, because, it has a number of removable pads to allow for a shorter pull and overall length. And the fore end  so that I can use the M-Lok slots on it for attachment making for a cleaner gun overall. 

I might also add a "heatshield" because I like the way they look and are inexpensive, but that's pretty much it. I don't want a ton of stuff on it. In fact, I'm not even sure that I want to add a cartridge holder to the receiver. So, that's about it. This is going to stand in a corner and take over for the Walther as the silent sentry in our house.

How To Play The "Long Game"

There was a running back who played for the Dallas Cowboys back in the old days, named Walt Garrison. It was said of ole' Walt, that if you needed 3 yards, you gave the ball to Walt and he got you those 3 yards, ..... however, if you needed 7 yards and gave the ball to Walt, he'd get you 3 yards..... What's my point? That was the old days where scores resembled baseball games of the 90s and coaches believe that only 3 things can happen when you pass; and two of those were bad! So, we'll just say that scoring was a long drawn out process.

In adherence to that principle, I bought a gun..... Yeah...., that's a gun. OK, here's the story. When I originally bought/built my AR15, some things were done out of expediency. Like the "complete lower" that I was able to pick up for $135. It wasn't everything I wanted, but it had good bones (a Aero Precision Gen 1 lower). I just wanted a complete AR for an affordable price. But, in the end, I'd like to have is my dream gun. So, last month, I bought a Gen 2 lower for less than $50. The plan is, over time, I'm going to build up the "dream gun" with all the parts in it that I really want, then switch the upper when it's finished. What all is going to be in this super gun?

Other than the, "next gen" lower, it's going to be built around an ALG Defense, Advance Combat Trigger (ACT). Which is "Mil-spec", but better, cleaner and lighter. That's the most expensive piece at about $70, but I'm going to use better, or more advance parts for each little piece in the lower. My plan is to have an ambidextrous safety, a Magpul BAD lever to allow bolt release from both sides as well as upgraded springs everywhere. I also plan to use either the JP Industries silent buffer or something similar to it. 

I'll finish it all off with an Aero Precision billet, enlarged trigger guard. At that point, the lower end of my M4 "Recce Carbine" will pretty much be done. So, why would I do it this way? 

Touchdown! Here's the concept. When I get the new lower completed with all the upgraded parts, and I move the carbine upper over to it, the left overs will essentially be another complete lower. Here's the important piece (legally that is). When the old lower was bought, it was transferred as a "frame" only and not as either a "rifle" or a "pistol". Therefore, I should be free to rebuild it as pretty much anything I choose, as long as it's not an NFA item). What I'd really like to have is an AR pistol in chambered in 300 Blackout. 

The "philosophy of use" for a 300 Blackout (or AAC) is to have a cartridge that is more effective on targets that are relatively heavy and dense (eg. Feral Hogs) out to 150-250 yards. This particular cartridge starts life as a cut-down 223/5.56 and thus fits an AR bolt-face and will fit in AR magazines as well. However, it's opened up to take a .30 caliber bullet thus giving it great latitude in construction for a hand-loader especially. Given the construction of the case, it's a chambering that does well in sub-carbine (<16")_ length barrels.My intention is to use a 10.5" barrel.

So, in actuality, I'm doing two builds at once. Both will be able to use the same magazines, the same bolt carrier groups and accept the same accessories as well. One will be a carbine and the other will be a pistol. I just can't mix up the uppers and lowers or I'll have an SBR and run afoul of the NFA! The M4 style "Recce" carbine will be in .223 Wylde and therefore capable of good accuracy with either the .223 or the 5.56 out to 300 yards and beyond. The pistol in 300 Blackout will be good from "close quarters" out to 300 yards and more capable of taking down heavier game. 

The Mobile Plan: Is That Hardware In Your Toolbox?

It seems like we aren't ever home. That's because, we aren't..... my family is in "those years"......, meaning that time when the kids are between the ages of 10 and 16, when we as parents are constantly on the go. Besides both my wife and I working in different towns from where our home is located. We also take our kids to their swim practice in another town as well for 4 evenings a week as well as Saturday morning. That doesn't take in account the in-season before school practices 5 mornings a-week or any meets on weekdays or weekends. Suffice to say that we're spending a lot of time traveling around in our vehicles. All this means that we have to be prepared to deal with any eventualities when we're out.

As an aspiring "Prepper", my single greatest fear is something like this happening when we're away from home. And it appears that the potential for social unrest is becoming increasingly possible, if not probable! Politics and beliefs not withstanding, I have no intention of being caught in something like this. But I live outside Dallas. Sure, that's better, than say Philly, Detroit, or LA, but it ain't Colorado Springs or Bartlesville, OK either. So, just in case; I need to have a plan. 

My first order of business is to get my License to Carry (LTC here in Texas). As soon as I get a free weekend, I'm going to take the class so I can carry a sidearm with me. My intention isn't necessarily to always carry a sidearm. After all, I'm a school teacher and we can't have them on campus. But I want to make darn sure that I can at least legally have one in the vehicle with me that's fully loaded and ready to go. 

 

The second and main part of my plan is to have one of these in my vehicle at all times. It's a Rigid brand tool box that's been customized to hold one or more firearms along with ammunition. These things are rugged, stealth and don't take up a lot of space. The smaller sized one can have 2 layers of foam and therefore should be able to hold not only a handgun, but my Kel-tec Sub 2000 as well. 

The concept isn't to have enough firepower to fight it out. That's a stupid idea! There's always going to be somebody that you can't out-gun. Then what? The idea is to have enough fire-power to either get yourself free from the situation and get home, or at least encourage the bad people to leave you alone and move along.

Let's All GROW UP and Look At The Real Issue

Recently, one of my family members wrote something on Facebook in support of an assault weapons ban which points out that the founding fathers never conceptualized something such as the AR/AK of today when they penned the 2nd amendment. And you know what...... they didn't.

Because they were thinking of something along these lines.... What's my point? In 1787, the Kentucky long-rifle was the most advanced weapon of it's day! So yeah, he made an accurate, yet historically misapplied argument. So, what then is the issue? What they didn't envision was the 20th/21st century breakdown of the American family and the detrimental affect it would have on the development of our youth. 

Last week, I taught a unit on the era of the late industrial age and nationalism. And staring me right in the face was the answer to our national crisis. One of the generally accepted societal effects of the time was the lengthening of "childhood" and the delaying of "adulthood". You might as well just go ahead and say it, at a time in which our children are less mature, we are placing them increasingly in situations where they can, and do make more adult decisions. 

It's almost a mantra in today's society that if a person is old enough to die for their country, they are old enough to ___________; you fill in the blank. I for one say that, that is a load of crap! And after 20+ years in education, I know a thing or two about teens, because I've seen a thing or two, or four! Ask pretty much any grown adult and you'll find the same answer. Teenagers are getting LESS responsible and mature, NOT more! 

The reality of the industrial revolution is that increasingly, kids stayed in school (and home) till they were at least 18. In fact, it's been mandated. Prior to this era, "kids" went to work by the time they  were 14-15 years old, or got married and had children by 18. You can ask any parent; no single event changes a person more than having kids! My belief is that the only reason American society hasn't experienced the detrimental effects of this issue earlier was World War II.Not only was it a time far less removed from the previous era of forced maturity. It forced an entire generation of boys/young men to go into the military, then suffer the travails of a war! 

Ask any sociologist when American society took a marked turn toward increasing teen destruction,... go ahead. Yeah, pretty much any will tell you that it's the post WWII era. ....and it's gotten progressively worse, with today's coddling helicopter-parent creating the low-water group of today. OK.... I'm I going to just bitch or do I have an idea?

Yup, I sure do! If 21 is the drinking age, then, lets make it the age for EVERY judgement critical thing in society. Why do you think they had to up the drinking age 21? Because 18 year old's are great decision makers right? OK, but what about the military you say? I say that 18 is fine because, in the military, virtually everything dangerous is meticulously training into you AND supervised by 1 or more of the toughest and most experienced veterans put in charge of anyone anywhere....., the Drill Instructor or Sergeant..... and they are overseen by even tougher and more experienced Chiefs, Master Sergeants etc. And while I'm at it, I'd push the voting age back up to 21 as well! And one more thing; let's go ahead and enforce the laws we have why don't we!?!

That's it..... that's all I got today.